Service Design

Service Design

While a library service might seem straightforward at first glance you will need to carefully think through what a library typically can offer and what your organisation is seeking to deliver. A clear understanding of what level and type of service you hope to offer will be essential in identifying the support and resources you require to make your ideas become a reality. Will the service be staffed or totally dependent on volunteers? Will you focus on a book based service or some other format of resources? Are you aiming to only provide ‘library’ services or are there other services that could be delivered from the building that might also help advance your aims?

You will also need to think through which elements of the service you may need the current library authority to deliver. Will it assist with stock selection and supply? What existing Information Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure might be made available to your organisation? Will the library authority be willing to offer general advice or more specialist librarian support and resources?

More information on developing and managing services is provided later in the guide.

Key Questions

Has the purpose of the transfer been led by, and involved, local people?

Are people prepared for the long period of time that some asset transfer projects need?

Has a realistic provisional timescale for transfer been set?

Considerations for Community Groups

Make sure discussions in public forums retain a focus on practical questions. It is easy for a large meeting to lack direction. Have a clear agenda and try to avoid getting bogged down in one issue for too long. Be ambitious but accept the need for some compromises to make the transfer work in practice.

What to avoid:

Do not let your ideas run away with you. Keep checking that your plans are realistic and commercially viable.

Avoid giving people false expectations. Compromises will need to be made and hurdles overcome along the way. A long-term vision is important but it may not be achievable in one go.

Do not run the process completely in-house. Accept that some independent advice will be required.

In the other direction, avoid giving away control over the vision to 'experts'. The key to making asset transfer work is the energy of the local community.

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About Locality:

Locality is the national network of ambitious and enterprising community-led organisations, working together to help neighbourhoods thrive. We support organisations to work effectively through best practice on community enterprise, community asset ownership, community rights, collaboration, commissioning support and social action.